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Triton looking to add science/math teacher next school year

BOURBON — The YouTube video “Tribute to Troops” opened the Triton School Board meeting last Monday as Superintendent Donna Burroughs, whose husband served for four years in the Coast Guard, led the Board in honoring military veterans on Veterans Day.
Burroughs announced that a new science/math teacher will be hired for next year because of increasing graduation requirements and the need to prepare students for graduation. The new hiring process implemented this year will be in effect, and resulted in well-qualified and well-received hires this year.
New hires were approved as follows: Lindsay Shively — girls’ varsity basketball assistant, Blake Schori — boys’ freshman basketball, and Jared Ambrose — seventh-grade boys’ basketball.
In financial matters, the Board approved the transfer of 50 percent of funds from the Bus Replacement Fund to the Debt Service Fund as required by the state; $23,000 was also transferred from the Transportation Fund to the Rainy Day Fund because of savings due to fewer bus routes. Voucher and payroll claims were approved for payment in the total amount of $858,283.55.
In other matters:
• A policy was added to the corporation policies stating that no school employee will be held personally liable for claims arising from the patient protection segment of the Affordable Care Act (ACT). Should such claims appear, the corporation will settle the claim.
• Thirteen-year-old Boy Scout Wyatt Stephan was in attendance with his father, Scoutmaster Michael Stephan, who is also the executive director of the Potawatomi Wildlife Park. The younger Stephan was completing part of the requirements for his Citizenship in the Community badge, which includes attending a public meeting and analyzing matters arising in which members were in conflict.
He is a member of Troop #251 sponsored by the First United Methodist Church in Plymouth. He will soon complete requirements for earning his Eagle Scout rank.
• Burroughs shared current examples of how the school corporation’s core values are being implemented. One significant one she highlighted was social responsibility.
Three portable AED (automated external defibrillator) devices have been received through a grant from Heart Reach submitted in conjunction with the town of Bourbon. The town will place its portable device at the Matchett Senior Center, and the school system will house one of its machines at the park concession stand and send the other one with athletes traveling to out-of-town games. In other examples, Triton Elementary has also recently participated in Operation Christmas Child (fourth-graders) and Feed My Starving Children (fifth and sixth-graders, along with the high school wrestling team, track team, and Athletic Leadership Council.)
• She also announced that flyers have been created promoting the new Triton Educational fund through the Marshall County Community Foundation. The Foundation will give a 10 percent match to all money raised for the fund through Dec. 31. When the principal balance reaches $12,500, the corporation will have $500 annually in interest earnings to give to teachers for classroom projects, Burroughs told the board.
• In another matter close to the hearts of Triton alumni, it has been determined that the old gym can be eligible for designation as a National Historical Landmark. This will enable applications for grant funds to be used for its maintenance. This will be investigated and presented at the January regular meeting.
• Triton Elementary principal Jeremy Riffle reported that the Feed My Hungry Children service project effort reported above prepared 93,528 meals for shipping, which will provide one meal a day for 256 third-world children. He thanked local businesses for contributing items for the fourth-graders’ Operation Christmas Child project. The high school Educational Professionals class under his leadership will be preparing a map using satellite tracking to show where the Christmas Child boxes were sent around the world. He concluded by saying that the Veterans Day program at the school went very well.
• Junior/Senior High School assistant principal Bob Ross said that he and Shaw will be going to Belmont High School in Decatur County to explore their very successful Early College program. Shaw will also be attending the CELL (Center for Effective Leadership in Education) conference this week at the University of Indianapolis with principal Mike Chobanov. High school science teacher Matt Arvesen will be attending the portion of the conference devoted to social networking. Ross and Riffle will also go to a workshop on school safety training next week. Ross indicated that the Veterans Day program at the high school was prepared and presented by students, and was very well received by veterans present.
• Chobanov reported that the $25,000 matching grant from Indiana Homeland Security had been received, and will be used to further secure entrance doors and expand the security camera coverage to span the entire property including the bus barn. He said that the School Improvement Team will be ready to present at the next Board meeting.